MID ATLANTIC, NEW JERSEY -- BUNCH OF CROOKS! FALSE ADVERTISING. Absolutely appalled at the lack of service and relentless up-selling I just received. My car battery died on Thursday, and I knew I needed a new one. My insurance is wonderful and provides free jumps, towing, lockout service, etc… all the things that come in a basic AAA membership service, which is why I don’t need a membership w/AAA. I was planning on calling my insurance for a free jump, then driving my car to a local auto shop for a battery replacement. My dad suggested I look into a mobile battery replacement service, and after a quick online search, AAA mobile battery replacement was the first I found, claiming $135 for non members. Seems good enough, slightly more expensive than my auto shop, but way more convenient… so I called yesterday to see if I could set up an appointment for today, explained I’m not a member and did not want to become one, etc.

The representative with whom I spoke told me to call back today and they would be happy to dispatch someone to my location today. Called today (on hold forever), to be told the service is only for members, at which point I explained to the representative that the person with whom I spoke yesterday said it’s not a problem if I’m not a member. Today’s representative said that yesterday’s representative must have been mistaken, but “If you purchase a membership with me I’d be happy to set up a battery replacement.” ARE YOU KIDDING? I told her, “I’m literally LOOKING at the AAA website which clearly states on more than one page that the cost is $135 for non-members, and $110 for members. I want the $135 price, since I’m not paying $72 for the privilege of a battery replacement when my insurance covers all of the other supposed roadside benefits that AAA offers!” She again told me I am mistaken, so I said, “Perhaps you can transfer me to someone else.” She said, “Please hold and I’ll try to get a supervisor.” (on hold again for forever) She comes back saying that they can get a mobile battery replacement sent to me, but that it would cost way more than $135, maybe even over $200, and wouldn’t I like to sign up for a membership for a discount on the battery service and she would even take $10 off the yearly membership cost! I once again reiterated that my (non-thief) insurance company has all the roadside perks of AA (sans battery replacement) for free.

This conversations dragged on entirely too long. So apparently now someone is supposed to come to my house in the next 90 minutes but are first supposed to call me to confirm a price since AAA was unable to do it since I wasn’t a member. At this point, I am so fed up that I am quite close to scrapping it and getting a jump and driving to my local auto shop, but I’m interested to hear what this “non member cost” now will be. I AM SO FRUSTRATED at the poor service given to me as a non-member – honestly, should you be trying to get customers??? With how poorly I was just treated without yet giving you my money, I’d hate to see how you treat those poor souls who have already committed to a year of your nonsense! Not to mention the ridiculous false advertising ALL OVER YOUR WEBSITE. For a company that supposedly prides itself on its longstanding, fabulous reputation, you should be ashamed. I am proud to say I never have been, nor ever will be, a member of your elite club.

UPDATE - -Service has been cancelled due to it costing a MINIMUM OF $190!!!!! MINIMUM!!! They could POSSIBLY charge me more upon arrival!!! Why even both posting a price on your site???

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Bad battery service and bad road call service (battery under warranty)

Posted by Darlene on 02/12/2012

Rating: 1/51

CINCINNATI, OHIO -- My battery is bad. car won"t start in am after sitting overnite. total 3 calls in last 2 months to AAA cinti. 2 of those calls tday, feb12 2012. my warranty is up about 3/12/12, and won"t honor warranty. there were no systems defaults on system analysis printed copy at 2nd call and no analysis or nothing on 1st call. on but on both calls, the battery was 8.1 and 8.3. they had no problem taking the 120.00 for battery. finally, ebony and her supervisor decided to send out another call to put new battery in my car. as I wait for the hour, a call representative called me and said, I wasn"t getting new battery and supervisor of those other 2 guys willi call me. I called back to speak to ebony, and I was told she was gone, and then my conversation after holds were rushed, condenscending to me, etc.. She said air inflation on my cars heard on left front back was attached to battery that on front right of car. when I asked her what it looked like, she got offended and nasty. ALL LIES!... I installed GM batteries on my job in past. my car is 1993 bonneville and is still running. I have had other bad experience with bad information from AAA drivers, and I just let it go. I was told my warrentee is null and void. the car only didn:t start after it sat allnite in single digits. the cold crank wasn"t enough enough. my car is all power. the battery AAA replaced in 2009 had more cold cranking and lasted for about 6 yrs. disrespect and the stress I endured being a patient of cong. heart failure and breathing and coughing after this ordeal is terribly wrong. through the many years off and on with AAA, I had never had terrible interactions and service with AAA until now. What has happened?

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AAA Battery Replacement

Posted by Iqbal on 02/19/2014

Rating: 1/51

WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA -- AAA battery sucks. AAA replaced with a new battery on 1/9/2014 and then series of problems started. Daily when I park the car and take in the next morning the battery is dead. Called multiple times for inspecting the battery and always they were specifying there is some issue with Car which is draining the battery overnight. I had to take to several service centers and spent more bucks for diagnosis but keep ending there was no issue with Car. Finally took to an auto electric shop. They diagnosed and concluded it was the battery issue. After that as well AAA came, ran some test on the battery and said battery is good. My auto electric service person explained what was the issue but the AAA person came said they battery can't be replaced. To prove the theory of diagnosis done by auto electric shop they gave a temporary battery. Next day there wasn't an issue with car and Car started as usual. Then called AAA and explained what I did. AAA said first of all the battery installed by them shouldn't be removed and that voids the warranty. Warranty is always for the battery and not for the installation. I kept explaining them but AAA wasn't able to listen to me and said they can't do anything with this.
I will never opt battery service from AAA. It is a waste of time and money. Warranty is just a piece of information on paper and they just try to find fault to see how they shouldn't replace the battery.

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AAA Battery Service Did Reverse Polarity Damage Car CPU

Posted by Rebecca on 09/17/2013

Rating: 1/51

PHOENIX, ARIZONA -- On 9/1/2013 I drove to Flagstaff, AZ to visit my son that goes to NAU. I drove to his work at the Courtyard Marriott and talk to my son. When I went to leave I started the car and went to back up, and the car stopped. Tried to start again, and would not start. I call AAA roadside assistance and they sent out a AAA Flagstaff Battery, because I have a AAA battery. The serviceman Felix want to jump car to get out of drive. Asked for me to open hood, advised battery in trunk. Said has connections under hood also, so he hook battery cables to connections under hood. When he told me to start the car, my door locks when up & down and my dash board start flashing and making sounds/alarms when it started, but when I put in drive it stopped again. He then hooked battery charger to battery itself in trunk. Did test said alternator was bad. So had towed to Seven Day Auto to get alternator replace. They inform me before work started that I had a engine light on, and key not on, and should not be there. They replaced the alternator and advised me that my computer to car was damaged and that they suspected that when car was jump he had cables wrong and did a reversed polarity on my battery that damaged the CPU on my car. Put in new alternator, but could not get any reading on CPU. I could drive the car, but there was no reading on transmissions or anything else, would drive in 2nd gear, but no speedometer, air, etc. I drove back to Phoenix and put in complaint with AAA complaint ref#1327 2006 Chevy Cobalt, had a Tiffany [snip]working with me, would not give me a rental because Battery company sub contracted and was denying they were at fault. Had AAA recommend Kelly Clark East to take car to for an cost for repairs on car, they recommended Courtesy Chevrolet, because dealership would have to reprogram CPU. I took to Courtesy on 9/7/2013 they verified computer damaged, and also agreed that there had been a reversed polarity done on battery. Have submitted all paper work, Seven Day Auto & Courtesy Chevrolet have submitted their paper work to AAA. I had to get a rental car on 9/7/2013 and returned it on 9/14/2013 because could not afford it. On 9/12/13 was told I would be contacted by 9/13/2013 with answer. Have had no response, called on 9/16/2013 and was told Damen [snip] was in charge of it now, have left multiple messages and have no response still since 9/12/2013. This is causing a lot of stress on me, I have anxiety problems and also afraid of losing my Job, because I have no transportation and medical issues causing me to miss work.

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False Advertisement Online

Posted by Debra on 11/28/2012

Rating: 1/51

CARROLLTON, GEORGIA -- According to an email I received and online, AAA is supposed to send someone out to check and/or replace your battery if needed. I have requested twice online. Both times I told them where I lived, zip etc. They asked about the vehicle. and stated that it would be $120.00 to replace the battery and that someone would be here in 75 minutes. Both times somebody came out, both times the gentlemen told me "We don't do that". Okay, I'm confused and still have a vehicle that won't start. I just spoke with AAA and asked if they just sent the wrong people or what. The agent said no that the information was wrong online that they do not do the service in smaller towns. They sure don't mind taking small town money. Besides Carrollton is NOT a small town. This is the first time that I have tried to use my AAA and I'm very disappointed.

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Do Not Buy Batteries From AAA!!

Posted by Elivia on 04/30/2012

Rating: 1/51

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA -- When my battery died 2 years ago I purchased a new battery from the AAA service person who came to my aid. When my mechanic noticed how quickly the terminals were corroding, he commented on how poor the AAA batteries were and that it was unfortunate that they had gone into the business of selling batteries!!

Today my battery (which comes with a 3 year replacement guanantee) stopped working. The AAA service person arrived and charged my battery to make it start and then used a machine which was supposed to do a diagnostic on what what wrong. It printed out a paper with the report, which said my battery was fine and there could be (possibly) something going on with my alternator. I immediately drove to my mechanic, who pointed out that this diagnostic report didn't have any read-out for the amperage - which is a critical piece of information. So he did this and told me that the battery was bad. He also ran a second test to identify which cell wasn't functioning.

AAA's policy is only to accept a computer generated physical diagnostic report, so they suggested I go to Toyota, where I would have to pay $100 to get this report. Only then would they honor the warranty. My mechanic replaced my battery AT COST.
DO NOT PURCHASE BATTERIES FROM AAA!!!!

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Quick Service For My Family

Posted by raybay12363 on 11/22/2011

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA -- My husband called me from work saying he left a light on in his car and his battery was dead. He had jumper cables, but they were cheap ones (I have the nice ones in my car) and he thought they weren't working because of that. We live 30 miles from his office and he wanted me to come jump him. The lot next to his workplace locks 3 hours after closing, and he would've had to call a special guard to let him out if we didn't get him out of there in about an hour and 15 minutes. I left our house, but soon realized there was a sporting event downtown and the ride was going to take me at least an hour or more. Little to no chance I'd get there before they shut down the parking lot for the night.

I called AAA, figuring I'd have to pay extra to have him taken care of if I wasn't there, but the representative told me they'd give me a 1-time courtesy call for my husband (and that I should 'really sign him up too'). They got to him within 20 minutes and determined he couldn't get jumped because his battery was completely dead. They even gave him the AAA member pricing on a new one ($110). Not cheap, but he was fixed up within 30 minutes, and to save me the hassle of going to get him was well worth the extra cost.

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with the service we got. We were definitely expecting denials for service and extra charges, but only got people willing to help in a jiffy on behalf of my membership. We don't often have to use our AAA membership, but knowing it's there if (and when!) something unexpected happens is great peace of mind.

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AAA Battery Service Convenient, but Batteries are Awful

Posted by AMV on 06/28/2010

The AAA Battery Replacement program is very convenient, as they dispatch a service vehicle with a new battery to your location and install it on the spot. The cost is very competitive with an off the shelf battery. Here is the problem: The batteries they provide are awful, just terrible. Simply put, they are the worst performing batteries I've ever had in any car I've owned---and I've been driving for about 30 years now. I've had three of these batteries. Fooled me once, shame on me. Fooled me a second time, shame on me again. Third time was a warranty coverage---that one is now on the fritz too. The batteries last an average of 2 years. The one that just quit on me today was about a year and a half old. Worst part is that they've now become stingy with warranty replacement---claiming that the spent battery is "good" even though it clearly will not hold a charge. I wish they'd charge a little more and provide top quality batteries instead of the garbage they offer.

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Battery Warranty a HOAX

Posted by profman9821 on 12/30/2011

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY -- I called AAA yesterday, December 29, 2011, for roadside assistance. Since the engine would not crank, I assumed it was the battery and told the customer service representative that I had purchased the battery from AAA in September 2010. They dispatched a Rescue Ranger to my house equipped with a replacement battery.

The service technician jumped started the car and began to run the diagnostics on the battery and charging system. While the diagnostics were being run, the technician complained about the difficulty in replacing the battery in my 2005 Monte Carlo. It would require removing two braces and maneuvering the old battery out of a tight compartment.

The diagnostics showed my charging system and alternator were at peak performance. The diagnostics did indicate a weak or what he called a “suspect” cell. He asked if I had a charger. I told him no. He then suggested that I take it somewhere to have it charged, but considering it was getting late in the evening that was not a good option. The warranty department would not replace the battery as I was told they would when I bought the battery just 14 months earlier. When the battery was purchased from AAA roadside, I was told the warranty was full replacement within the first 12 months and pro-rated over the next 3 years. I paid over $126 for the battery that failed within 14 months and the warranty department has the audacity to tell me to take and get it charged and if it failed a second time, then they would replace it.

The weather in Louisville, Kentucky is expected to change dramatically over the next 5 days. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that a battery with a weak or “suspect” cell is not pulling the full cold cranking amps stated by the manufacturer. Instead, AAA would rather me or my wife get stuck in the cold waiting for the battery to drain and not start the car. This will no doubt happen when AAA is flooded with roadside assistance calls during the next cold wave.

I have been a member of AAA since 1976 and have had good experiences. The attitude of the service technician and their unwillingness to stand behind their warranty are the reasons that I will be canceling my family Gold membership and looking for other options.

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Beware AAA Batteries!

Posted by a1property on 03/29/2011

MODESTO, CALIFORNIA -- Have been a faithful AAA member since 1974. Recently, needed a jump start due to weak battery. Tech told me battery needed to be replaced. So rather than going to Lexus for one of their 7-year warranty batteries, I believed the technician from Scenic Towing who stated he could replace the battery right now with a new AAA battery (2 year warranty).

This was in Oct 2010. Well in Mar 2011, I again had problems with the (new?) AAA battery. Again got a jump start, drove down the street 1/2 mile and battery went DEAD. Called AAA again to tow me to Lexus, where I got a "good" battery. Lexus checked it out and found the battery dead.
Went to Scenic Towing for a refund. I was told by the manager that only AAA batteries could be used, they would not refund money ($120) and stated I broke the contract because their battery was removed.

I tried to complain to AAA, and they said I had signed the contract and refused to call me back further. This is a real RIP-OFF. My instincts told me that AAA is no longer to be trusted. I will be cancelling insurance also.